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Dragon Clan Army
The Dragon Clan Army was a special case in Rokugan. Because the Dragon Clan only had one true bushi family, the Mirumoto family, they only had one army. This had never presented itself as a problem mostly due to the fact that they occupied a very defensible position in the northern mountains of Rokugan as well as never seeking to expand their borders. No invading Rokugani enemy had ever progressed further into the mountains than Shiro Kitsuki. Only the Naga had ever managed to breach the Dragon defenses entirely, not being stopped until they reached the High House of Light itself in 1131-1132. Masters of War Web Supplement, pp. 7-9 This went completely different during the War of Dark Fire and the ensuing Destroyer War, being many Dragon strongholds wiped out. First appearance In the year 435, the Dragon Clan brought its full strength to bear for the first time since the Dawn of the Empire. The Mirumoto Army emerged from the mountains, backed by hundreds of Agasha Shugenja and Ise Zumi, showing its willingness to fight alongside the Lion armies against the clans who backed the Gozoku. Imperial Histories, p. 53 Mirumoto Army The Mirumoto Army was the only army of the Dragon Clan. Prior to the Clan War it amounted to 200,000 fighting men and the military Command Staff included the Mirumoto Daimyo, 3 rikugunshokan, and 10 shireikan. Clan War: Dragon Army Expansion, pp. 61-62 Special Units The Dragon Storm were small cavalry units, trained to fight with both sword and bow. The Dragon Talons were the clan's Heavy Infantry, trained in use of the no-dachi, while the Dragon's Flame were the clan’s elite archery units. Emerald Empire: Third Edition, p. 216 Reputation Over the centuries, the perceived inactivity of the Dragon Army caused some to view them with a disdainful attitude. Tactics The Dragon Army is largely a defensive army, and over the centuries they have participated in very few large scale offensive battles. It was only during the Clan War that the Dragon Army proved it's worth as an offensive force. Due to the lands they defend the Dragon tend to employ smaller units than their traditional counterparts in the other Rokugani armies. They employ a greater use of scouts and archers also, which patrol their borders and harass any enemies. Recent Deployments The Dragon were commanded by an Imperial Edict to intervene in the War of the Rich Frog between the Unicorn Clan and Lion Clan. The Dragon were unable to make too much headway in seperating the two fighting factions because of the two fronts stretched the single Dragon Army too far. Army Composition The Dragon army was divided into 280 “units”, each of them comprised of 700 men. Each unit included: 1 chui, 5 gunso, 1 unmounted division of 200 hohei, 1 cavalry division of 50 mounted nikutai, 1 spear division of 200 ashigaru spearmen, 1 archery division of 200 archers, 1 shield division of 100 ashigaru shieldmen and bannermen. Clan War: Rulebook, p. 42 Below are some of the legions and units present in the Mirumoto Army: *